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COVID spreaders to face legal action

PHUKET: Provincial Police Region 8 Chief Lt Gen Kittirat Phanphet has confirmed that the three entertainment venues linked to the current outbreak of COVID-19 will face legal action.

COVID-19Coronavirushealthcrimepolice
By Bangkok Post

Thursday 15 April 2021 09:00 AM


A man presents himself at one of the mobile testing vans on Bangla Rd in Patong for a COVID-19 swab test. Photo: PR Phuket

A man presents himself at one of the mobile testing vans on Bangla Rd in Patong for a COVID-19 swab test. Photo: PR Phuket

Lt Gen Kittirat publicly made the assurance yesterday (Apr 15), reports the Bangkok Post.

A committee chaired by Phuket deputy police chief, Pol Col Suwat Kaewphrom, has also been set up to follow up on the legal process and ensure all the parties involved are held to account, Lt Gen Kittirat said.

The news comes as authorities move to proceed with legal action will be taken against entertainment businesses and people who recklessly spread COVID-19.

In Chiang Mai, local authorities yesterday pressed charges against a hotel for allegedly failing to comply with the disease control measures after it failed to collect information from a guest who had travelled from a high-risk area. The guest checked in at the hotel in San Kamphaeng district on April 11, a day after she took a COVID-19 test at a hospital in Bangkok.

She received the test result, which was positive, on April 12.

The district’s disease control operation centre found that the hotel had violated the province’s disease control measures.

Meanwhile, Dr Charaspong Sukree, chief of Nakhon Sri Thammarat’s public health office, said health officials are liaising with authorities in Bangkok in pressing charges against a COVID-19 patient who boarded a plane after being informed of her positive test result.

He was referring to the province’s seventh case, a 26-year-old woman who took a flight to Nakhon Sri Thammarat from Don Mueang airport on April 11 after she was told she was infected.

Dr Charaspong said the patient, who had caused havoc at the airports and anxiety among passengers, would be charged with withholding information.

"Authorities will determine where the offences were committed and the patient will be summonsed to answer charges there," he said.

He said she did not violate the law in Nakhon Sri Thammarat as she informed authorities as soon as she landed. However, a private laboratory would also be held responsible for failing to notify the Department of Communicable Disease Control or the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) to initiate the quarantine process.

Based on the patient’s timeline, she took the COVID-19 test at a private clinic on April 9 and was informed of the positive result on April 10. She boarded an evening flight to Nakhon Sri Thammarat the following day.